Rasperries and Rum
by DaughterOfStarlight
Summary: On the eve of his thousandth birthday, The Doctor pauses for a moment of stormy introspection and only a curious young girl can seem to pull him out of it.11/OC. No pairing. Reviews inspire my very exsistence.


**Gutentag, crash queens and motor babies, it's another round of riveting Doctor worship (sorry, fic) from everyone favorite little literary madwoman. This is a tender piece, a quiet and hopefull moment on board the TARDIS. I hope you all enjoy.**

**And my lovelies, reviews are the fuel for my madcap endavors, so if you wish to see any more DaughterOfStarlight adventure or just feel like cheering a girl up, drop us a line.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not a thing is mine. Take the OC if you want, im feeling generous.**

**Enjoy my children!**

He stood at the porthole, looking deep into the void of space and feeling every bit his age. The constelations and planets whizzed by in splendid color, but they all seemed flat and grey in his ancient eyes. He shouldn't have taken her.

The Doctor sighed heavily, sweeping his hair away from his face. It had been years since the last ones, years since the beautifull Rose who had loved him through two lifetimes, years since the spicy Amelia Pond, the girl who waited. And like all the others they had faded, withered like flowers pressed too long, decided they wanted or forced into a life that didn't involve him. He had watched them grow tired of having the world at their fingertips and one by one they had all burnt out on being everywhere at once. As this one would undoubtedly do.

He shouldn't have taken her.

He had found her on Earth, California circa 2074. Not a pleasant place. She had been lingering there in the filthy streets, among the squalling orphans and burning cars, seemingly serene. He had watched, enamored, as she had traced her name in the dust underfoot, humming a Christmas carol. Christmas carols in the middle of June. How splendid.

She had looked up at him, green eyes sparkling. "Hullo. Isn't the sunset beautiful?"

How could he resist? She was everything that had ever captivated him: youth, innocence, life. It had been so long since the last ones...He needed someone else, someone to make it all worthwhile again.

He had felt that old spark when she had entered the TARDIS, her eyes lighting up as she gushed and ran about, exploring every nook and cranny of the ship. He reveled in explaining everything to her and answering her endless questions, but the intial excitement had faded fairly quickly. She was fifteen years old, for crying out loud. He could have sworn she was at least twenty. Fifteen year olds had no buisness wearing that much makeup...She was _too_ young, she trusted him _too_ much. He had to take her back to her own time before she got hurt following him.

"Doctor?"

He spun around. She was descending the stairs, swathed in the forest-green dress the TARDIS had provided for her. She had a strange kinship with the ship, and seemed to understand that it had a consciousness of it's own. In any case, it liked her.

The girl hopped off the stairs and strode over to him. "The TARDIS is sad," She informed him. "I think you're making it that way. What's wrong?"

He looked down at her, hinting at a smile. "Tomorrow is my birthday."

"And how old will you be?"

The smile faded. "I'll be one thousand years old."

Her eyebrows shot up. "But you're so young!"

"No," He sighed. "I am very, extremely, old. And I'm very tired."

She leaned up against the wall next to him, looking out the porthole. "Of what?"

"Of...Everything. I've seen everything, done everything. And it's times like these when I get fed up with everything and often do something extremely stupid." He stole a glance at her. "Like snatching up a nice girl and flying off with her in my bloody spaceship."

"Hey, I like your spaceship. It's bigger on the inside."

He bit back a smile. He loved it when they said that.

"And you didn't snatch me up," She continued. "I followed you about until you told me you were an alien in efforts to deter me, but I of course just demanded to see your spaceship. Time machine. Whatever."

"And didn't I deliver?"

She grinned. "Quite." Suddenly the smile faded. "You want to take me back."

"What? No, no...Not really...Not personally...Only for your own good, love."

The girl shook her head. "Doctor, I hate it there! You just opened up entire fantastic worlds to me and you expect me to be content with going _back_?"

"You don't understand..." He began.

"Then make me."

He turned to face her, taking her shoulder in his hand. "People die around me, alright? Nice people, people you would have liked. Or they grow old and decide to leave, or they see things that just burn them out on The Universe. But I just keep on living, keep on changing and moving, never in anyone's world for more than a blink of an eye. You don't want to be like that, lass. You're only human. It plays havoc with your species's delicate inner workings."

"My inner workings are made of steel and cement."

He almost laughed "You little liar. I know you type. I know your type because I can just never resist...And spirits like yours can't last long in the vacuum of space."

"And how would you know? I've never tried the vacuum of space!"

"Oh, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Tastes a bit like raspberries and rum, nothing special."

"Oh. I had hoped for chocolate and champagne."

"Nah, that's two galaxies over."

She sidled up next to him, smiling softly. "Look at the stars. Bursting orbs of luminescent gas in every color of the rainbow. Thousands and billions of them all around."

"Seen it," He sighed.

She punched him halfheartedly, then leaned her head against his chest to apologize.

"Oh, don't be such a-"

Suddenly she drew away, looking up at him in wonder. Then she purposefully set her hand on one side of his chest, then the other. Her eyes widened in surprise, and he smirked, holding up twin fingers.

"Binary vascular system. Two hearts."

She shook her head in wonder, drawing away.

"Full of surprises, aren't you? Well come on then. Only one of them can possibly be broken." She skipped up the steps to the TARDIS console, running her fingers along the gleaming buttons. "Take me somewhere stupendous."

The ghost of a smile whispered at his lips, and he felt a bit of adventure's siren song tug at his heartstrings once again. He mounted the steps to the controls, looking at the girl.

"Where do you want to go?"

She thought on this for a moment.

"Two galaxies over, you say?

"One and a half, depending on traffic."

She burst into a smile brighter than any burning star.

"Let's go everywhere. I want to see everything!"

The Doctor felt a little of the old mischief come into his eyes as he slammed his hand down on the accelerated, sending the TARDIS and her passengers rocketing through time and space. He watched in delight as she clung to the iron bars rimming the control console, laughing and squealing in joy.

Yes, a passenger, a friend. A pair of young eyes through which to view a very old world. It would be different this time, it had to be. It was a mad wish, and he knew that when he made it, but this whole venture was half baked at best, wasn't it? Yes, this one would be different. This one would stay.

**I hope it was enjoyed by all :) Give a girl a review?**


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